Ishall respond to your questions/comments one at a time!
1. First, I'm pretty sure Scourge was the "Dragon" set. Also, MaRo pretty much said that the only dragons in Champions were going to be the cyclee of five legend ones. From what I can tell though, they'll all be pretty good.
2. Of course splice leaves the card in your hand! What would be the benefit otherwise?
3. I think you're wrong on both counts. First, I think Standard constructed will make use of a lot more cards than Imi Statue, and second, I don't think Imi Statue will see much play, except in the hands of ignorant players at States. Let me explain how it works.
Game 1 - Affinity tramples you horribly. You mutter as you side in your Imi Statues.
Game 2 - You play first, which is good, because it means you get to turn three first. You play your statue. Now, at the end of affinity's second turn, which creature are tapped? The arcbound ravager they just played? The ornithopter they haven't Cranial Plated yet? In other words, the statue doesn't stop the turn 3 offensive, which is sometimes the gamewinner, but not always. So it doesn't really slow 'em down until turn 4. On turn 4 you're so beaten down that all they have to do is untap their ornithopter and fly over for the win, (Either they have Cranial Plating on it, or they can sac everything to the ravager, thus making you lose life, the sac the ravager to itself so it can put its counters on the orny).
In short, the statue does not slow them down. Damping Matrix on the other hand...
4. White weenie does not work without 'geddon. It's a fact of life.
5. I disagree.
6. Me too.
